Allies not enemies—creating a more empathetic and uplifting patient experience through technology and art

Objective: To understand whether art and technology (mainly conversational agents) may help oncology patients to experience a more humanized journey. Methods: This narrative review encompasses a comprehensive examination of the existing literature in this field by a multicenter, multidisciplinary, and multiprofessional team aiming to analyze the current developments and potential future directions of using art and technology for patient engagement. Results: We identified three major themes of patient engagement with art and three major themes of patient engagement with technologies. Two real-case scenarios are reported from our experience to practically envision how findings from the literature can be implemented in different contexts. Conclusion: Art therapy and technologies can be ancillary supports for healthcare professionals but are not substitutive of their expertise and responsibilities. Such tools may help to convey a more empathetic and uplifting patient journey if properly integrated within clinical practice, whereby the humanistic touch of medicine remains pivotal.